


The Touch of an Android

by Ley_Handsome



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blue Blood, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Jericho (Detroit: Become Human), M/M, Misunderstandings, Revolution, SiAngst, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Slow To Update, Thirium, Thirium (Detroit: Become Human), mega angst, slight gore, watch me make Simon suffer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-06-11 09:19:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15312375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ley_Handsome/pseuds/Ley_Handsome
Summary: Simon's feelings for Markus begin to become unbearable as the revolution against the humans continue. However, he doesn't believe Markus feels the same way and finds it hard to stay around the one he loves most. Will he ever be able to admit his feelings to the one he loves before he looses the chance to?Set around the events at the Stratford Tower, we see Simon struggle to come to terms with just how strong his feelings are- rediscovering trauma from before his time at Jericho.This fanfic has not been check by a beta, so please excuse any mistakes and grammar errors!





	1. Update 1: Failed Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon tries to talk to Markus before they go to Stratford Tower, but things don't go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who reads this! After starting my HankCon fit, I really wanted to do a SiMarkus one too! I hope you enjoy this angsty ride! Comments and Kudos are appreciated a lot!
> 
> Have a nice day! xxx

 

Simon always seemed to gaze upon Markus with awe. Slender figure, his exquisite mismatched eyes… everything about Markus was simply breath taking. His story always brought Simon to tears- he was never ready to actually hear it, but Markus always talked about his owner, Carl Manfred with such love and compassion… it often led the blonde to wonder if he could ever be loved by Markus that much too.

It was true, the PL600 was desperately in love with the one Jericho named Ra9… when they first met on November 6th… yes it had only been a few days- now they were planning to take over the Stratford Tower to leave a message for all Androids. He was nervous however. This was a full-scale mission that Markus had planned in one day. He needed to talk to Markus before everything goes into full effect.  
  
“Markus…” Simon’s soft voice spoke as he approached him. “Can we talk? Somewhere private maybe?”  
  
Markus looked down at his friend and smiled softly. “Hello, Simon. Of course, we can talk. Let’s go upstairs. I know a good place we could go.”  
With a slight incline of his head, Simon indicated that he would follow Markus wherever he planned to take him.  
  
They went to the control room that overlooked the entirety of the top of Jericho and the surrounding area. The sun was in the rising. They still had a few hours before they had to start travelling to the Stratford tower. Simon breathed in the scent of the morning air and looked at Markus. Beautiful as always- his clothes curving against the wind, a smile on his lips. “Do you like it up here?”  
  
Simon nodded, his eyes only fixed on the android before him. “Beautiful…”  

Markus leant against a control panel- sitting on the floor and inviting Simon to sit with him. “Now, what is wrong?”  
  
“Nothing is wrong, per say…” He couldn’t look Markus in the eyes anymore. “I-I wanted to talk to you about... about us.”  
  
“What about us?” His brows furrowed slightly- he didn’t want anything to be wrong between them. Markus cared for him, greatly.

 Simon shifted- his thorium pump elevated. “I… I want to be with you Markus… you have protected Jericho more than I ever could. I want to be by your side through all of this, to protect you like you have me.” He held his hands close to him- his hand was turning back into its natural, plastic state. A blue blush was dusting his cheeks. He was becoming a mess and hated it. _Be calm…you stay calm…_ His LED flashed yellow, a spot of red slinking through.  
  
“Of course, Simon. I will always take care of you. You are a valued friend Simon… I want to protect you and keep you safe.” Markus gave a soft smile. He couldn’t understand why Simon was so nervous, why he looked so vulnerable.  
  
“Ah… yes… friends.” He defiantly had to hide his hand now.  
  
“Is everything ok, Simon? You’re not as calm as you usually are.” Markus shifted his weight to look more a Simon- his flushed cheeks, nervous eyes. “Your hand, is it hurt?”  
  
Flinching slightly, Simon stood up. “N-No. Everything is fine… We should get ready to go and run through the plan one last time.” His hand was still in a state. He didn’t want Markus to see. He felt the first feeling he hated for the first time in years.  
  
He felt ashamed.  
  
Disgusted with himself.

_Of course, Markus hasn’t got the time to love someone like me… Someone who can hardly offer anything…_

Markus grabbed his shoulder. “Simon?” He sounded hurt. “I can sense something is wrong. Please talk to me.”  
  
“Everything is fine… Markus.” His voice trembled slightly. “We can talk later. We can… after this mission.” His pump felt like it was going to break- his hand ached from wanting to be touched. He wanted to connect with him so badly… “Please, let’s just talk later.”  
  
“Alright… I’m sorry.”  
  
“Trust me, you don’t need to be sorry. It’s my fault.” He turned around and gave him a broken smile. “We will talk later.” He then quickly disappeared, he had to calm down and ride out the pain.  
  
_I’m sorry Markus…_

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 

Simon had finally managed to calm down. He was sneaking around- feeling terrified as he knew Markus (and North) was scaling the very building he was currently in. He and Josh had been able to sneak in, but they were blocked at the door of the service elevator. His hand had gone back to normal but his nerves were all over the place. He had to stay calm if he was going to complete this mission with everyone.  
  
“Is everything ok, Simon?” He looked down at the smaller android with a hint of concern. “You’ve seemed a little off since we left.”  
  
“I’m fine.” He cut in coldly and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “I just need this mission to go well.”  
  
Josh nodded. “Right.”  
  
Suddenly the hatch opened and Simon saw Markus’ slightly frost-bitten face, causing his cheeks to dust blue. “Markus… North. I’m glad you both got here.” He handed him the bomb for the door.  
  
“Let’s do this.” Markus responded and walked over to the door, placing the bomb on the door and activating the detonator in a swift motion. Everyone stepped back to let the explosive do its job, before Markus lead them down into the area just outside the main broadcasting area.

Markus leant around the corner slightly to get a look, Simon already knew what was up. There were always two guards on patrol at the desk- making sure no unwanted guests ever tried to enter.  
  
_Don’t get shot Markus… we don’t want to cause a scene._  
  
His had started to ache again- it was right there for him to simply grab. His chance for Markus to know… to know everything.  
  
His LED flashed red.  
  
_It’s impossible… he doesn’t understand how afraid I am to lose him. I know having feelings is hard… but having this many… it isn’t just what humans are saying- saying there’s a fault in our codes… Fuck sake Markus… I’m sorry._  
  
“We can’t shoot them. We can’t take any human lives.” Josh’s voice brought Simon from his thoughts- LED switching to the unstable yellow.

 

“Our cause is more important than the lives of two guards!” North retorted quietly.  
  
“What do you want to do, Markus?” Simon’s voice was as small and as quiet as ever. He was afraid to speak too loudly now- that if he spoke too much, he wouldn’t be able to control his feelings.  
  
_God, my hand… I can control it this time…_

 

Markus looked towards the ground for a few moments, hat obstructing Simon’s ability to see his gorgeous eyes. “Wait here.”  
  
North grunted as he walked around the corner, Simon quickly went where Markus had been standing only a few moments ago- impatient and ready to intervene if things went south.  
  
_Be safe… please don’t get shot… Calm down Simon… stay calm…_

“What’s _that_ doing here?” One of the guards grunted, crossing his arms and tilting his head up.

“No idea.” The other replied with a slight shrug. “Hey, buddy! You must be lost-”

Markus pulled out the gun and both men put their hands up, audibly gasping. Simon gripped the wall so hard- he was leaving marks.  
  
“W-What are you doing?”

 

Markus motioned for them to turn against the wall and quickly knocked them out to avoid any more trouble from them. He exhaled and kept his grip on the gun. North and Simon dragged the two men behind the desk with hardly any difficulties. Simon was relieved to see that Markus was unharmed. They walked down the corridor to the main door of the broadcasting room. Markus handed Josh a gun and North pulled her own out.  
  
_It’ll be fine. I don’t need a gun… I just need to make sure Markus is safe. He is the new leader of Jericho… that’s all… that’s all…_  
  
Simon hadn’t realised that Markus had already rung the bell. The doors opened and everyone held their guns up.  
  
“Keep your hands up where I can see them!” North yelled as she forced her way in with the others, pushing the man back who had answered the door.  
  
“Get up! Move!”

 

Quickly making his way over to the computers, Simon started getting ready to broadcast Simon’s message when needed. Markus went over to the other androids and used the gun to motion them to move, but another human managed to push past North and Josh- making his way to the exit.  
  
“Shoot him, Markus!” She hollered.

“Don’t do it!” Josh countered.  
  
“He’ll hit the alarm! Do it!”

“No, don’t shoot!”  
  
Simon looked on, he wouldn’t say anything but… Markus shouldn’t shoot him. They didn’t need any casualties… human lives didn’t need to be wasted like that.

 _Please Markus… don’t shoot._  
  
Putting the gun down Markus turned around and Simon saw the look in his eyes. He’d already made the decision- not to hurt them as they hurt them.

 

“I hope you just didn’t get us all killed.” North scoffed.  
  
“We need to record our message. We haven’t got much time.” Simon pressed a few more buttons and looked towards Markus and Josh. His pump was racing, he couldn’t believe this was actually happening. He went to open his mouth to speak, but North beat him to it.  
  
“Think carefully about what you’re going to say, Markus. Your words.” She then walked back.  
  
“Markus!” Simon called, gathering his courage to speak. “Your face…” It wasn’t just because he wanted Markus to be safe… he didn’t want any humans seeing that face yet… It was a foolish, school-boy emotion. _No one should see it yet. He is amazing but… I want to be one of the only ones who sees him in his ‘human’ form right now_.

 

He then briefly looked back to see Markus’ remove his skin- and his hand started to burn again.  
  
“Tell me when you’re ready.” Josh held hand over the panel to hack for broadcasting.  
  
Markus nodded and the broadcasting started.  
  
“You created machines in your own image to serve you. You made them intelligent and obedient, with no free will of their own… But… something changed and we opened our eyes. We are no longer machines, we are a new intelligent species and the time has come for you to accept who we really are. Therefore, we ask that you grant us the rights that we are entitles to.”  
  
Now listing a few things that they rightly deserved, Simon looked on in awe. A light blush dusted his cheeks. How could he be so amazing? It made him feel slightly inadequate as the previous leader of Jericho- but in the end, it was one he took upon himself as the oldest member. But now, seeing him speak with such determination, while remaining so composed and tranquil, Simon just couldn’t hold his feelings- his hand experiencing a piercing pain. He was brought out of his appreciative thoughts as Markus started drawing to a close.

“We ask that you recognise our dignity, our hopes and our rights. Together, we can live in peace and build a better future, for humans and androids. This message is a hope of a people. You gave us life. And now the time has come for you to give us freedom.”  
  
“They’re coming!” Simon spoke as he looked down at the CCTV footage he had up.  
  
“Let’s go!” Markus announced, his face retaining its human form.  
  
They all started to make their way to go towards the roof to escape but the doors opened and they all dove down.  
  
In a flit of panic, Simon went to go and get to the door but the SWAT members shot at him and he fell to the floor with a heavy thud and a grunt.  
  
“SIMON! They’re coming!” Markus called with worry.  
  
Simon himself tried to move, but his leg and stomach had been shot. They were clean shots through him- the glass behind him riddled with bullet holes. “I can’t…M-Markus.” His legs scuffing the floors his breath in short rugged pants. He got shot at again and weakly ducked. “Go without me.” Markus was more important than his own life… he was the saviour… his _rA9._

 

“SIMON!” Markus shook his head and ran over to him- watching out for bullets as he grabbed him.  
  
“What are you doing? Hurry!” North yelled as she and Josh continued to hold back the SWAT members.  
  
Simon and Markus continued to struggle to make their way to the door, having to constantly duck as Simon limped slowly- gasping as he felt his wounds with every step. As they got to the door, Markus closed it and they quickly stumbled up the stairs.

 

Falling to the floor, Simon leant against a AC duct. He had also been shot in the chest. He didn’t look the best, LED glowing sickly red. “I-I can’t move my legs.” Panic rose in his chest as he tried to move them with a grunted effort. _I’m becoming useless…_ Thirium stained his chest and leg giving the uniform a blue sheen.

“Ok, don’t worry! We’re going to get you back…”  
  
“They’re coming, Markus. We have to jump, now!” North commanded with worry, hand reaching out near him.  
  
Simon looked around between faces, only Markus’ face was clear as everything else was swimming in and out of focus. He could only feel pain. Markus was so close; all his amazing details were amplified more than ever. He felt his hand spiking in more pain than his actual wounds. He wanted to be ok. He wanted to be able to walk and go with the others and not worry that he could shut down.  
  
God.  
  
He didn’t want to die… he still had to talk to Markus… he still had to see this revolution to the end. To be with Markus until the end.  
  
Markus sighed angrily and pulled away to talk to North and Josh. Though they thought they were far enough, Simon could still hear everything.  
  
“He won’t be able to make the jump… If they find him, they have access to his memory… They’ll know everything!” Josh puffed.  
  
“We can’t leave him behind. We have to shoot him” North countered Josh’s point angrily.

  
“That’s murder, we can’t kill him, he’s one of us!” Josh snapped back.  
  
“Markus, it’s your call.” Looking at Markus, North shrugged helplessly.  
  
Markus shook his head. “I won’t kill one of our own.” He then went over to Simon, leaning over him, their heads so close to each other. Markus put his hand on Simon’s shoulder and called his name softly. Simon looked up with more admiration than ever, he didn’t want to die and to die by the hands of Markus would’ve been unbearable. “We gotta go. I’m sorry.”  He shook Simon slightly.  
  
Simon felt his gut dropping in his stomach as he saw Markus pull away. His fear was growing, he didn’t want to be left… if he was… he’d be found…  
  
Handing him a gun, Simon grabbed it and sighed in pain.  
  
Markus then left to sort out his parachute with Josh and North. Simon looked at Markus one more time and wished them luck in his head before he started to crawl away. He managed to stumble around the corner when the SWAT members burst through the door and started to shoot and run after Markus and the others. His pump was beating fast in his ears- dulling the sound of the gunfire and heavy footfall. He had to hide in a better spot, but for now, Simon knew that Markus had drawn their attention away from him when they made the jump.  
  
Crouching down, Simon held the gun tight. He didn’t want to be found. He had to be quiet despite all the pain. If he was found then it would be all for nothing. Just wait patiently… they wouldn’t have any reason to check around here… Not until the cops arrived to investigate. He held a hand over his mouth to stop his artificial breathing from being too loud and then heard the door slam shut again.  
  
He was safe.

For now.

 

Quickly, he dove and crawled into a nearby power box. It was big enough to keep him safe from being discovered. He reasoned with himself, they had no reason to investigate in here. No one would find him and that would be that.  
  
“Markus, I’m sorry…” He held his hand close to his chest. He could feel his components underneath… it made shivers run up his artificial spine.  
  
_Quiet Simon… you have to keep quiet and not do anything that will give you away… If it gets to it… I’ll shoot myself. Then no one will find out about Jericho…_  
  
He looked down slightly and saw there was water hitting the gun on his lap. Where was that water coming from? He tried to look around to see where the snow was leaking in, but there was no leak… He then shakily put a hand to his cheek and felt streams of water.  
  
_I-I’ve seen this happen to humans. These leak from their eyes when they are upset or scared…. I didn’t think I was programmed to… To…_  
  
“Cry…” He whispered and shoved his fist to his mouth. Everything hurt and ached. He longed for Markus. Longed to not be caught. Longed to stay alive and not shut down…  
  
_You may not know this Markus… You might never know… But, I love you with all my being. It psychically hurts me that I can’t be held by you. It hurts that you didn’t understand that I tried to tell you I love you and now I might never have the chance to tell you what I fully meant. Please understand… When I said I wanted to talk later, I didn’t think this would happen… I’m sorry Markus. If I make it back to you… I promise I’ll tell you. I will try my best to stay alive, for you and you alone._  
  
He rested his head against his knees, tears flowing down his face silently as his shoulders shook with the effort. His LED was bright red- angry and confused as he didn’t understand how to control his emotions.  
  
Simon had to make it back to Jericho.  
  
Even if it killed him, he’d make it back just to be held by Markus one last time…

 _Markus_.  
  
That’s all that mattered to him.  
  
_Markus_ …


	2. Update 2: Return to You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon struggles to make his way back to Jericho. 
> 
> Markus keeps getting upset about the thought of Simon never coming back, but doesn't understand why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to apologise! It took me forever to get the motivation to finish this. Also this hasn't been checked by a beta at all so excuse any tired mistakes I made.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it. :)

The sound of loud chatter forced Simon out of his daze. Though his breathing was purely cosmetic, it rose in panic. Coming in short gasps he felt his stomach flip, thirium still leaked out of his system in a slow trickle. His clothes were cold and wet against his body. His temperature was low.  
  
_Who’s outside?_  
  
Slowly, he turned his hearing ability up (formerly known as the Baby Monitor Mode), to hear the conversations from outside.    
  
“ _Three were reported to escape. There was a fourth but it was badly damaged, we suspect it is dead somewhere within the tower._ ”  
  
“ _Yeah, I mean that last one isn’t important if its already dead. Let’s just focus on the three that already escaped._ ”  
  
Simon held his hand close to him, gun still resting in his lap. His face was a mess- tears and thirium everywhere. His LED was still red. He felt like he was slowly drowning. The eminent fear of shutting down sinking into his synthetic skin. _I don’t want to die… I don’t want to leave Markus. I have to stay awake_.  
  
Joints growing stiff, Simon realised he’d need to move or find a way to keep his mind distracted so he didn’t power off.  
  
_Markus… think of Markus…_  
  
He began to think about how much he loved Markus, how his smiled would always brighten his day. His strong frame underneath the layers of clothes he always wore, his mismatched eyes and strong voice… everything about him was perfect. He never thought he’d be able to find love or have something special after…  
  
_No… Simon. Don’t think about_ that. You don’t need to worry about that… don’t.  
  
Simon held his head- the traumatic memories flooding through his head- he couldn’t control it… he couldn’t stop it like he usually could.  
  
“Markus…” He whimpered softly. “Save me.”

***

Markus started pacing the floor. He couldn’t focus. Yes, they were making a stand against the humans, but now they were investigating the Stratford Tower.  
  
_What if they find Simon?_  
  
“Markus?” North approached him in his personal room within the main hub of Jericho.  
  
“I shouldn’t have left him there.” He spoke softly- voice wavering slightly.  
  
“I told you, we should’ve just taken the shot. If the humans find out about Jericho-”  
  
Markus swivelled on his heels, his big coat whipping the wind as he marched up to North. “North, I’m not talking about us shooting him. We all left one of our own! We should’ve worked out a way to bring him with us. He is one of the most respected members of Jericho… He didn’t deserve to be left. We said we’d get him back here.” He held his hands against his head. “Now the feds are there, looking for evidence. They don’t need to be, they saw us escape!” He kicked his bed and sat down, holding his head in his hands. “I shouldn’t have left him.”  
  
North crossed her arms across her chest and kicked at the floor with her boot. “There was nothing you could do. We’ll have to wait to find out… if he doesn’t return by tomorrow evening, we’ll throw a ceremony. He welcomed us all here, we don’t forget that.” She then turned and walked away- leaving Markus alone to his own thoughts.  
  
_Simon… please come back to us._

_***_

It had been two hours since the feds had left the building officially, but Simon knew that they would be keeping a patrol around the building. He had heard a detective mention that if all eye-witnesses said that four androids were there when the control room was stormed. That meant, they’d be looking to see of any androids would slip up and reveal themselves as the missing fourth deviant.  
  
Usually Simon would wait it out, but he knew he was coming closer and closer to shutting down, without thiruim he couldn’t function. He needed to get back to Markus.  
  
Slowly he opened the container he was hiding in, no guards on the roof. To his relief he fell out, giving his legs time to stretch out and regain feeling. It hurt all over- shocks convulsing his body here and there as he tried to get up.  
  
“Fuck.” Usually crass words didn’t escape his lips, Simon often kept him emotions under control, but right now, in solitude, he needed the time to curse and get himself to get himself together.  
  
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

He finally managed to get up and held the gun tight in his hand. He wasn’t going to use it unless needed but… Markus handed it to him… it was the last thing he had of him.

 _I will return to you Markus._

Walking came painfully, each step sending a jolt through his nervous system. Count his breaths as he walked helped him stay conscious.  
  
_One, two, three…_

_One, two, three…_

_One, two-_

He had to rest against the door. Could he really do this? Would he be able to make it back to Jericho and be with the one he loved? Even if he shut down after he arrived… then the feds couldn’t probe him…

“I have to do this… I have to get back.”

 ***

Now opening the door, he made his way down the steps, he couldn’t help but curse under his breath with each step. His vision swam in and out of focus and he stumbled slightly, clutching to the handrail to stop himself from falling onto the hard floor below.  
  
“Fuck sake…” He breathed as he felt his arm socket shift uncomfortably. “I just need to get out… I need to go…”

He pushed the door open slightly and walked through, before he ducked down, his biocomponents creaking with the effort.  
  
There was someone there.

It was a patrol guard.  
  
He dragged himself to the desk and curled up slightly, concealing himself underneath it. His LED was glowing red, lighting up the area surrounding him. He had to stay down low. If he got caught, that would be the end of it. He had to escape. With his sensors, he could work out the route of the patrol guard. He wouldn’t be close for another few seconds. That would give him the chance to manoeuvre around and get out the open door before he could be spotted.  
  
With a puff, he made his way around slipping slightly, but remaining unseen and undetected. Finally, something was going his way for some time.

Making his way downstairs even further Simon managed to get to the 47thfloor. He hesitated slightly before he opened the door that lead out into the main section. Simon knew from the layout, he could duck into rooms- if he were to run into a security guard. The place was momentarily empty, giving him a chance to resume his walking.  
  
_One, two, three…_

_One, two, three…_

_One, two, three…_

_Two, three…_

Simon looked up, his head swimming slightly as he saw the beginnings of a bright light. 

Someone was coming.

His hands pressed against the door of a spare meeting room and shifted under his weight. Seeing the light rounded the corner, Simon ducked in and slid silently onto the floor- cosmetic breathing coming to a complete halt- causing his thiruim pump to rumble in his ears.

 _Calm… he won’t notice you. You’re safe Simon. You will get back to Jericho…_  
  
Even through the rumbling in his ears, Simon could hear the heavy footfall approaching and out of habit- he put a hand to his mouth. He couldn’t risk moving, even when he felt the thiruim drip down his nose and the error flash across his eyes.  
  
_Error… thiruim low… I will get some… Markus can help…_

 _  
_ ***

“Markus?” North’s voice was gentle, after Markus’ sudden outburst, she knew she had to be calmer when approaching him out on the deck of the ship. It was dark, snow falling gently around them: the definition of a picturesque scene that would be perfect for any kind of confession.  
  
Markus turned to face her. He was frowning- arms tightly intermingled with each other. “Yes?”  
  
“You should come inside. It’s too cold for you to be out here like this. You could be seen.”  
  
“I can’t just sit here, North. We made a mistake leaving him.”  
  
Shaking her head North turned away from the male android before him. “You’re being too soft and naive towards Simon. We have to accept the worst and move on to the next phase of the plan!”  
  
“I’m not about to give up on him. I could tell he still had fight in him.” He walked past North. “I suggest you don’t simply forget and assume your comrades have perished.” His anger was boiling- clearly showing in his cosmetic features. “I know things are stressful, but in times like these, we must remember: Simon was quiet, but he was smarter than all of us, the oldest member of Jericho. I will believe he is alive until I see his body myself.”  
  
With that he walked back inside. He needed time to think, time to just work out what he would say to those when they continued to ask where Simon was.  
  
_Please. Just… be alive for the sake of everyone here._

 

 ***

 Simon heard the guard go past and slowly stretched out his limbs to relive the pressure that was building up once more.  
  
“Ahh… I need to hide myself so it’ll be easier to move around…” He looked around and saw that there was a coatrack just across the table.  Slowly he stumbled to the rack and grabbed the biggest coat he could. It was weighted but offered the comfort and warmth he needed as his core temperature continue to drop. He then spotted a beanie and though he wouldn’t usually wear one himself, he pulled it on to try and hide his LED. Slowly he approached the door and continued to sneak around to get to the lifts. It would be risky, but it was his best bet at getting down to the ground floor. Not to mention he hardly had any strength. Though it could jeopardise his freedom. He knew it was the best way.  
  
“Markus would always take a risk…” He then staggered once or twice before successfully getting to the elevator. He fumbled with the keypad to open it, hands slick with thirium.  
  
It took a few moments, but there was a loud ding, and the doors opened. Simon’s eyes moved frantically as he made sure no one was coming. He silently slipped in and went straight down to the first floor.  
  
_We’re getting there… slowly…_  

The door pinged again and they opened to his worst nightmare.  
  
“What are you… doing here?” The guard hesitated as Simon kept his head down, trying to hide the thiriuim that stained his synthetic skin.  
  
“I… I stayed late and now I’m headed home.” Simons voice was soft.  
  
“Can I see some ID? After today we are upping security measures.”

 Knowing he didn’t have any ID on him, Simon went for the first thing he could think of. He shoved the guard out of the way and started to run towards the exit. Simon quickly jumped over the barrier and continued to sprint, errors flashing brightly in his vision with every thump of his foot connecting with the smooth flooring. Alarms started to sound loudly as heavy foot fall could be heard behind him.  
  
“Backup! An Android is running around freely. I can’t tell what model, it’s wearing a disguise. But it is covered in blue blood! I am currently in pursuit.” The guard breathed loudly into the radio before he put it back onto his belt.  
  
Simon saw the stairs were coming up and decided to take yet another calculated risk. He jumped onto the railing of the stairs and slid down before running and slamming himself through the door.  
  
He didn’t expect it to break as easily as it did, but Simon felt his heavy frame shift under the glass as a sickening crack echoed before being quickly swallowed by the sirens sounding overhead. Smacking against the floor, Simon rolled a few feet- glass crunching underneath him. He had no time to stop. Scrambling to his feet, he continued to run away and start using the back alleys to try and get back to Jericho.  
  
_Markus! I’m getting there… I’ll…-_

His vision wavered and he toppled, losing his footing as he came out into a clearing with a deep slope. Harshly, he thudded down the gravel rain beginning to patter on the dirt around him as thunder slowly rumbled overhead. He could hear yelling and shouting. It was the feds still trying to look for him. He tried to scrunch up, thankful that the wasn’t able to be seen with his dark clothes in this weather.  
  
Sniffing the air a little, he could smell a distinct scent. It was nothing like he’d smelt before… What was it? Slowly, he tilted his head up slightly, to see what was in front of him.  
  
There he saw flowers. They were white, dedicate, with several petals which contained little pink freckles on them and they waved to him gently in the breeze that was picking up around him. He wanted to get a closer look at them. They looked like _him_.

 

His components screamed at the effort he was forcing into pushing himself up. Once he managed to get onto his knees, he reached out and plucked one of the flowers before he cradled it in his hands- causing the petals to become slightly crumpled against his chest.  
  
“They remind me of you, Markus.” A small dejected laugh that was laced with mechanical faults escaped his lips. “Maybe I should bring some back with me…”

 

Suddenly he felt something wet on his face. It wasn’t just the rain or the feeling of the thirium trickling down his face… it was something else entirely.  
  
Tears.  
  
Simon distinctly remembered the first time he had ever cried, but he thought he was past that. Being reduced to such a disgusting mess. He didn’t want to remember those times at all, much less the crying he was now having to try and stop. He furiously wiped at his eyes, smearing mud across his face as he managed to push everything down and control his emotions.  
  
“No time for that now Simon, You’re almost there.” From here we just need to get out of this ditch and… then it’s only so long until I see Jericho.”  
  
With a nod, he put a few lilies in his coat pocket and got onto all fours. That would be the most effective way to crawl out of this pit.

 

Most people may say that crawling out of a pit was easy work, especially when you were on all fours. Simon however was running on fumes, in the rain. There was no way that this could be considered easy. His fingertips dug deeply into the dirt as he dug his way up the slope. He didn’t care to keep his hands looking nice, not caring as he felt each stone scratch against his plastic fingers. He just wanted to sleep. But he couldn’t do that until he had seen Markus one last time.  
  
Around an hour later, Simon had managed to crawl out and continued to crawl a few more meters before he stood up. He stumbled a little and then started walking. His pace was slow but still carried some urgency. The sun would rise in a few hours and it would take all that time just to walk back. All the way his hands were shoved into his pockets, stroking the delicate petals of the lilies- as if they’d bring him energy or good luck. They kept him calm and made him feel like he was closer to Markus than he’d ever felt before.

  
  
***

The sun was beginning to rise and now, Markus was fearing the worst.  
  
“He would be back by now…” His voice was soft. Did Simon really not find a way to make it back? Had the feds caught him and taken him into their custody? What if he’d just been shot or shut down in some random alley?  
  
“There’s nothing more we can do, Markus…” Josh spoke in the same register as the android leader. He didn’t want to scare him off, or cause him more distress. “Maybe it’s time we hold a ceremony for him.”  
  
“We will at noon… I just want to wait a little longer.”  
  
“May I ask why?”  
  
Markus looked at Josh with a furrowed brow. His features read that he was focusing hard- thinking heavily.  
  
“In all honesty, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because he knew more about Jericho than all of us together. He was respected by all that reside here, and here I am… the one who left him behind.”  
  
Opening his mouth, Josh went to object. He wanted Markus to know that there was nothing they could’ve done in that small space of time. But, instead he closed his mouth and nodded. “I understand. I’m sure everyone still looks up to you. I’ll start the preparations for the ceremony and get North to help.”

 

“Thank you, Josh.” Markus then watched him depart from the corridor, now leaving the RK200 to his own dark thoughts.  
  
He stayed there for over an hour, simply staring into the dark while he played over the events of the Stratford Tower in his mind. Though the public opinion was leaning towards them, maybe it would’ve been better to have shot that single man that had left- causing the security to appear? No. Markus firmly shook his head and turned around, folding his arms across his chest. Simon would’ve hated that… Markus himself hated the thought of harming humans. Yes, they had caused them great pain, but, he didn’t need to sink to their level. Lowering his head, he went to leave, but a familiar voice stopped him.  
  
“Markus?”

***

Pushing through the door had used the last bit of his strength as Simon made his way down to the bows of the ship. But as he was about to lean against the wall and simply wait. He finally spotted the only one he wished to see.  
  
“Markus?”  
  
The man before him froze. His head turned slowly and his body soon followed.  
  
“Simon?”  
  
Simon’s dirt-streaked and blood-stained face lit up in a bright smile. He hobbled forwards and then began to fall towards the metal ground below him. He expected to connect with the ground and closed his eyes to embrace the coldness. But it never came. With care, he opened his eyes again to find himself flush against Markus’ body. He instinctively clung to the clothes around him and buried his face away from the one he loved.  
  
“I made it back… I just wanted to see… one last time…”  
  
Now in the security of the RK200’s arms, Simon felt the last little bit of his consciousness fade. He was being forced into low-power-mode. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever wake up again, but he didn’t mind. The PL600 had his wish granted. He got to be held by his lover one last time. Now, even if Markus never knew how he felt, he could pass on with minimal regrets.  
  
One fleeting thought crossed his mind as he felt Markus pick him up and move with urgency.  
  
_Thank you, Markus. I hope we meet in again better life if I don’t make it beyond here. Maybe then I’ll be able to tell you how I feel…_  
  
_Goodbye Markus…_


	3. Update 3: Lily Fields and Painful Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markus panics after Simon collapses in his arms. 
> 
> Lucy is able to repair him to the best of her ability and Simon has a dream about Markus.
> 
> But will it only cause him more pain than relief?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for this late update! I know it's been an age, but things have been crazy recently. My summer was busy and I was thrust into the deep end of college work and prep for Uni applications. 
> 
> My mental health has also been a bit icky, but I'm back to update this to try and keep it going. I will try and be better but I am sorry to all of you who have been waiting for so long. 
> 
> This update isn't that long, so for that I am sorry, I will try harder but I do hope you enjoy this update. This has not been seen by a BETA either so I am sorry for any mistakes!
> 
> Thank you for staying with me and I hope you all have a lovely day! xxxx

Markus almost fell over as he caught the sudden weight of Simon in his arms. His thirium pump sped up as he tried to shake Simon awake. His LED was glowing, flickering between yellow and red- moving as if trying to load something. With care, he picked up the smaller PL600 and held him close to his own chest as he marched to the infirmary.  

He felt odd. He hadn’t seen the extent of Simon’s wounds, but he found himself already fearing the worst. He closed his eyes briefly and thought back to only a few minutes prior to where he was now… seeing Simon after thinking he was finally gone.

***

 _Simon’s dirt-streaked and blood-stained face lit up in a bright smile. He hobbled forwards and then began to fall towards the metal ground below him. He expected to connect with the ground and closed his eyes to embrace the coldness. But it never came. With care, he opened his eyes again to find himself flush against Markus’ body. He instinctively clung to the clothes around him and buried his face away from the one he loved._  
  
“I made it back… I just wanted to see… one last time…” 

_***_

“What did he mean by that?” He spoke softly as he began to get into a more crowded area. People tried to stop him, but Markus was lost in his own world. Simon had made it back, that meant he _was_ going to be ok… Right?

“Markus?” Josh noticed him walk towards the infirmary. “Whose body are you carrying? Did we lose someone else?”  
  
Gently laying Simon down, Markus pulled off the hat and unzipped the coat, not noticing the lily falling out of the pocket and onto the floor.  
  
And what he saw next, was something Markus never thought he’d see.

Now, being part of the android uprising, meant that he was used to seeing his fair share of disembodied androids and mutilated and beyond repair… But today everything was different. After taking care to strip the PL600 down to his underwear before he stepped back- his circuits temporarily malfunctioning.  
  
“Markus?” Josh’s voice came again- distant and disorienting. “What kind of beating did this PL600 go through?”  
  
Simon’s synthetic skin was torn in various places. His leg had a deep bullet wound, his actual ‘skin’ was showing through across his chest… joints were sticking out in sickening places and of course, his fingers were worn down and one or two were slightly cracked from overuse.  
Thirium was splattered down his chest and a small amount leaked from his parted lips. He was the definition of a scrap pile.  
  
“It’s Simon.”  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
Markus couldn’t tare his gaze away from the blonde to look at Josh. This wasn’t the worst case he’d seen with an android by a long shot…

But seeing Simon like that…

  
  
_Simon_.

 

“He, is Simon. He made it back to Jericho.”  
  
Josh looked from Markus to Simon and back. “He’s in a terrible state! H-How did he even make it back like that?”  
  
Shrugging, Markus looked down and noticed the flower on the floor. He crouched down and picked it up with the utmost care. “What’s this? This wasn’t here a second ago…”  
  


“It’s a lily.” Josh said softly. “Lilies are rare these days, at least in the Detroit area.”  
  
“Why would Simon take them?” Markus inspected them closely, his scanners looking at every detail they could. They were beautiful with delicate white petals and the pink freckles…  
  
“Markus!” North burst into the room, shoving the curtain aside as Lucy followed close behind. “I found Lucy. She can help.”  
  
Lucy came into the room with graceful movement as always as she looked over Simon herself.  
  
“He is in a bad state… do you know how this happened?”  
  
Markus shook his head again, dumb-founded before he found his voice again. “We have to save him. He made it back after we just left him there.”  
  
“He told us to go, we couldn’t do anything for him.” North tried to retort. “He was shot.”  
  
“Regardless, he’s here now, so we have to help! I’ll go see what we have.” Josh shot back before he left to look in their supplies.  
  
Lucy’s hands ghosted over Simon’s body, eyes briefly closed as she was making her final judgements. “His core isn’t damaged… his body has suffered a lot of heavy impact. By the dirt and the lily, he brought back, I have to assume he fell into a ditch… trying to climb out and his nails broke… he can be fixed but he will need a fair amount of thiruim to make a full recovery.”  
  
The RK200 nodded, rubbed his chin as he refused to look away from his friend. Guilt blossomed in his chest and his breath came out slightly shaky.  
  
“Maybe it’s best if you wait in your room. See to everyone else while I fix him.” The KL900 looked at their saviour before she walked up to him. “You are of no us to any of us here like this. We need you, Markus, make sure everyone else is alright, Simon will be ok.”  
  
If anyone but Lucy had told him this, he wouldn’t have believed them, but he knew that Lucy had abilities, ones that were able to almost predict things.  
  
“You’re right. Simon is a fighter… I mean, he made it back to Jericho after all… thank you, I will tend to the others and talk about our next move while I wait.” He then walked up to Simon, placing the lily next to him before patting his shoulder.  
  
“You better come back to us, I’ll be mad if you leave us now without explaining yourself.”

  
  
***  
  
Simon jolted violently as oxygen filled his synthetic lungs. He took a few gasps as his vision flickered rapidly- speeding through his recovery process:  
  
_Model PL600, Serial#: 501-743-923. Bios 7.4, Revision 0483._  
Reboot… Memory: Intact. Loading OS… System Initialization… Checking Biocomponents… Ok. Initializing Biosensors… Ok. Initializing AI Engine… Ok. Memory Status… Ok. All Systems, Ok. Ready.  
  


Blinking a few times his vision cleared and he looked up and saw Lucy. A small smile graced his lips. He was so glad to be alive.  
  
“Lucy… looks like I made it after all.”  
  
The KL900 smiled back and nodded. “Yes, it’s good to have you back, but you should sleep, your body is low on thirium and you should rest your components, we had to replace a few limbs, your hands are still cracked but you will be able to walk again.”  
  
Nodding, Simon wished he could talk more, but he could hardly keep his eyes open. “Please let Markus know, I’m ok…” and before he could hear her response, he’d fallen back into the void of sleep.

  
  
***  
  
_His world was always a vast field… Simon liked the idea of being able to stay in the countryside, but now the field was no longer filled with sunflowers, it was vast with lilies._  
Blushing slightly, he sat down and let his hands touch delicate petals.  
  
“They remind me of you so much, I’m glad I’m not having a nightmare… I’ll be back to see you soon, I just need some time to myself.”  
  
“Let’s hope you don’t take too long.” Came a small chuckle.  
  
Standing and turning around quickly, Simon saw Markus… he never showed up in his dreams like this! Maybe his brain was finally being kind enough…  
  
“Markus?” A bright smiled donned his face, what a lovely dream this was turning out to be. A slight breeze picked up and we walked closer to him, pulling him into a hug.  
  
“Isn’t that rather bold of you?” Markus commented with a chuckle.  
  
Simon shook his head- pressing his forehead against Markus’ chest. This was his dream, he could do whatever he wanted.  
  
“I thought I was going to die… I wanted to be able to be in your arms at least once if I was to… but I actually survived and now I have a chance to do it again.”  
  
“I’m so sorry we left you, I should’ve figured something out…. How did you get home?”  
  
Home…  
  
The PL600 turned his head slightly so his ear rested against his chest now, he could hear the soft thump of the thiruim pump as he pressed his fingers against Markus’ hand, their synthetic skin wore away to reveal their ‘real’ hands.  
  
“Let me show you… it’s not pretty but…”  
  
Markus felt his eyes widen- tears brimming at the edge as he saw everything. “I’m so sorry…”  
  
“It’s alright. I got back to you…I got back to Jericho…”  
  
“Simon… may I ask you something.”  
  
Feeling his face heat up in a blue blush, Simon nodded.  
  
“Yes,”  
  
“Why are there lilies? I see them here and you brought one back…”  
  
A small chuckle left dainty lips, their hands were still connected. “They remind me of you. The small freckles are like the ones on your skin… they’re gentle and soft like you… I know it sounds cheesy and unbecoming from someone like me… but they gave me faith to return to you when I was ready to give up…”  
  
“I… don’t know what to say…”  
  
“You don’t need to say anything… just… thank you for letting me hold you… thank you for everything…”  
  
Simon felt himself waking up. He didn’t want to… he wouldn’t be able to be this open with the real Markus… he was going to have to face the pain again, the pain of being alone…  
  
“You’re welcome… always…” 

__  
  
***

 

Eyes opening once more, Simon now sat up and looked down to see his hand had peeled back it’s synthetic skin. Blushing he cradled it against his chest- pain burning through it and leading up to his thiruim pump.  
  
“Simon?”  
  
Head snapping to the side, he saw Markus and a blush dusted his features. “Mar…Markus! I… did Lucy tell you I was alright?”  
  
Nodding, the RK200 had his hands behind his back. “She said you’d wake up soon, so I just waited.”  
  
“Ah… you really didn’t have to… I’m sure there was other… things you could’ve done…” He wasn’t worth Markus’ precious time.  
  


“No, I had already checked on everyone else and I just had to make sure you were alright. I’m shocked you were able to make it back…”  
  
Simon sighed and willed his hand to go back to normal and it did… he let it fall limply against his lap and looked at the floor. “It wasn’t easy, but I was able to make my way back… I mostly followed the old signs I did, but I was chased a little… It took me longer as I had to hide and I fell in a ditch but….” He cut himself off and started to look around for his clothes, he felt ashamed to have such a dream, to wake up like he did.  
  
Markus sensed his panic and stepped a little closer- hands still behind his back.  
  
“Simon, it’s alright. You’ve been through a lot… you need a little more time to recover and then I can fill you in on the next plan. Do you want me to help you to your room?”  
  
Shaking his head, Simon spotted the spare clothes on the side and began to pull them on, hands trembling slightly as his chest continued to ache. “I’ll be fine… you need to make sure the others are okay. It’s not too far to my room after all, but thank you so much for everything…”  
  
Coming up close, Markus pulled him back into a tight hug and held the back of his head with his hand- stroking his blonde hair.  
  
“You’re safe here. I promise I won’t leave you again… I promise I will take care of you.”  
  
The ache got stronger and Simon was thankful that Markus could not see his face. His pump was going into overdrive and eventually, he had to pull away to be able to breathe.  
  
“Thank you… I… I need to go lay down again… I’m sorry… thank you for everything I…” He then stumbled away, leaving Markus with his arms slightly open.

  
  
***  
  
Slamming into his room, Simon locked his door and curled up on the cabin bed. It screamed under his weight and gradually silenced as he pulled the duvet over his face. His whole body was shaking and he covered his mouth with his hands as he felt tears stream down his face.  
  
He hated the feeling of crying but the pain was so great, there was nothing he could do to stop it. This one-sided love was growing too much for the PL600 to bear. He didn’t know what to do and when he felt his hand shed its ‘skin’ again, he shook even harder.  
  
_I’m sorry Markus… I’m sorry… I know it’s bad for me to want to Connect with you… I shouldn’t be wishing this… I’m so sorry…_  
  
Tears and trembles were wrecking his body until Simon eventually passed out due to utter exhaustion.  
  
Maybe one day he could try and bare his feelings to Markus… even if he was to face rejection…  
  
Maybe one day Simon would be told by Markus himself that he had already bore some of his feelings to him.  
  
That Markus was not a figment of his imagination.  
  
There was a reason he held his hands behind his back…  
  
But Simon was too naive to know… the Connection had already begun….  
__  
  



End file.
